


Love, Death, & Stolen Memories

by JediIlonaShepard



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Death, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Love, Romance, failed heist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-01 08:23:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5198915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediIlonaShepard/pseuds/JediIlonaShepard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kasumi Goto and Keiji Okuda make an attempted heist at the estate on Bekenstein.<br/>Little do they know that a trap was set for them by Donovan Hock.</p><p> <br/><sub>Based on the comic <i>Mass Effect: Foundation 10</i>  and a  prequel to  <i>A Pearl Discovered</i></sub></p><p>
  <sub> <sub>© BioWare & Electronic Art/Microsoft</sub></sub>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love, Death, & Stolen Memories

_**Monday, April, 8th 2182, 9:48 pm** _

 

It was late at night...

 

Just having been newly acquitted for espionage under the name Abraham Rumoi. 

The thief and hacker Keiji Okuda came home to the apartment that he and his partner/lover Kasumi Goto, who's also a best thief and hacker,  
share on the colony world, Theia II.

A month before, he had been caught and arrested for espionage, stealing classified information and selling it.

During his trial, Prosecutors wanted to use his graybox memories as evidence, but they were forbidden to do so because to an Alliance  
statute based on the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution about self-incrimination.

 

As he entered the darkened room, he switched on the lights. and to his amazement, Kasumi had the apartment decorated with a romantic  
ambience, From a bottle of fine wine, lit candles, soft piano music playing, to strewn red rose petals on the floor and the bed.

 

And the sweet smell of burning incense...

 

 _'My Kasumi sure has good taste of home decor.....'_ He thought with a smile. _'And I'm glad she's feeling alot better.....'_

 

Before his trial, Keiji noticed that Kasumi has been trying to hide her illness from him and he asked about, she amitted it and explained that she didn't  
want him to worry about her health while he was on trial.

And she promised him that she won't allow the nausea to ruin their chance to continue their heist.

Keiji understood this and told her to do what's it's needed to ease her nausea.

 

Knowing she has her cloaking device on, He closed his eyes, stuck out his hands, and walked very slowly, feeling for something or someone as if he  
were playing a game 'Marco Polo'.

 

Then he came to a stop, and gently put his hands on the shoulders of an invisible person.

 

The thief opened his eyes and smiled at an unseen person in front of him.

 

"So?" Keiji asked. "How'd I do, Little Bird?

 

"Perfect as usual, Keiji," Kasumi smiled decloaking in front of her lover. "Perfect as usual....."

For almost two minutes, two thieves embraced each other and kissed, tasting each other's lips passionately.

The warm welcoming kiss was cut short when Kasumi pushed Keiji onto the bed, then she crawled on top of her lover and smiled to him.

 

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," She said calmly with a smile. "Okay?"

 

"Relax Little Bird, we have nothing to worry about," Keiji said, smiling while holding both her hands in his own.

"They couldn't prosecute me, nor convict me. I'm free."

 

"I know," She replied. "I was there."

 

"Really..." Keiji let out a chuckle "And you say I take too many risk..." 

 

"I told you I won't ever leave your side, Keiji" Kasumi said. "And I realy mean it."

 

"Don't worry, Little Bird," Keiji said. "I'm not going anywhere." 

 

"Oh and by the way, "The thief said. "I'm not really fond of you working for the Alliance. They're too-"

 

"Suspicious?" Keiji asked.

 

"That too, but what I was going to say they're too boring," Kasumi explained. 

 

"Couldn't agree with you more..." He replied, watching Kasumi nod.

 

"So, Anyways," She said. "You and I will need a fresh start."

 

Keiji then lifted his left arm and activated his omni-tool.

 

"Now that you've mention it," He said, showing his Little Bird the E-brochure. "Before my trial, I've been working on a plan for our new heist."

 

Kasumi looked at the brochure itself and her smile spreaded ear-to-ear.

 

"Bekenstein," She said. "More glittering then diamonds, more expensive then surgery,  
I've never been there before...."

 

"Neither have I," Keiji replied. "But it won't be easy. There is a chance we'll need to use every trick in the book."

 

"Well, I'm very good at tricks" The lovely thief smiled and kissed Keiji on the lips. "Since you told me this won't be easy,  
I'm really looking forward to an interesting challenge...."

 

"I had a feeling you would, Little Bird," Keiji said, kissing her. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Two days later above the planet Bekenstein........

 

Though cloudy, the skies of above Bekenstein's cityscape were in a soft golden color. Lot's of buildings and skyscrapers stood very tall.

Bekenstein is a homeworld for very weathy people, including white-collar criminals......

 

Kasumi and Keiji were within the darkened bowels of the freighter ship, _The Bronze Star_ , searching for a good jump point out.

Then Keiji begain having uneasyness about the part of their heist. Fact is he's done alot of skydiving since he was eightteen years old. 

But never done any wingsuit flying before. 

Or mayby perhapse he feels something is about to go wrong duiring their heist at the estate they're headed to.....

 

"Um... Kasumi," Keiji said. "I'm wondering if this is a good idea..."

 

"It's perfect," Kasumi replied. "Please, don't spoil it."

 

"Okay... However, I love adventure as you do, But I think this part of the plan....."

 

"Relax Hon, I tried that out for a job on Sur'keah, Nobody will see us coming."

 

The two thieves crawled through the ship's ducts with Kasumi's omni-tool flashlight and made to a good jump point out. and that was  
an empty escape pod chute. 

 

"One escape pod is missing...." Keiji Noted. 

 

"Exactly the point," Kasumi replied. "I made sure the no one would noticed the pod is missing and also made sure nobody would get spaced.  
So everything is taken care of."

 

Keiji was relaxed for the time being.

 

"This should work," He said smiling....

 

"It will, Keiji," Kasumi smirked." Just think of it a flying without the need of an aircraft."

 

"I think I like the sound of that Little Bird...."

 

"I figured you would." 

 

The two thieves lip locked with each other. Then Kasumi hacked open the escape pod chute. They both put the skydiving mask onto thier faces  
and leaped right out of the passing ship.

 

They proformed their freeflying stunts, twisting and twirling like a pair of birds in the lovely afternoon sky.

 

Next, they deployed their arm-wings and then glided over the planet's surface and around the tall building and skyscrapers. 

 

Keiji was having a blast of his life, gliding in the air, admiringly seeing the huge city and landscape from above.  
He regretted having temporary cold feet back on _The Bronze Star_.

 

Kasumi was also having a time of her life. Her flying with Keiji over the Bekenstein's glamorous surface, She had been called 'Little Bird'  
many times for one of those good reasons.

 

"It's so beautiful Keiji!" The master thief shouted, with smile on her face. 

 

"Yes it is!" Keiji shouted back.

 

As the couple were soaring through the sky like birds, they found their target and timed their chute release for a safe but stylish landing.

Keiji was the first one to land, his arm-wings detached from his suit as he landed with his left foot touching down to the ground,his right knee touching  
softly behind his left leg and the fingers of his left hand touching the ground.

 

Kasumi came in second. her arm-wings became detached from her suit as She came to the landing, her right foot touching down to the ground's  
surface the way a winged human would.

 

"Show Off," Keiji smiled, removing his skydiving mask.

 

"Oh come on..." Kasumi teasingly smilled back, taking off her mask. "At least let a girl have her style."

 

"Alrighty...." He chuckled lightly. "But if we're doing our job right, Nobody should be watching."

 

Kasumi nodded with agreement.

 

"Nobody, but you of course" She replied softly. "And that's all it matters." 

 

That's my little bird.... He thought to himself.

 

The lovely thief allowed her soul mate to take her into his arms and deeply kiss her as the bright yellow sun was setting over  
the planet's horizon.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once Kasumi hacked the door open, the pair went in quietly in the dim-lit hall on the second floor, making sure they both could enjoy themselves  
and each other's company while on a heist.

The halls that were adoren with lots of priceless paintings, aniques, potted plants, and fine furniture.

"Second Floor complete," Someone said out loud. "Heading to the first."

 

"Uh... Oh..." Keiji muttered

 

"Hide!" Kasumi whispered.

 

The two hid behind the sofa, hoping they weren't being spotted by any guards in this estate.

 

"Shit, this is not good." Keiji said. He did not like this at all. 

"That figures...." Kasumi muttered. "More guards."

 

"The recon showed light security at the very entrance, Did we somehow tip our hand?"

 

"I don't know," Kasumi replied. "I hope not." 

 

Then Kasumi decided to deal with the situation herself. If they were to both get out of this unsafe predicament, she would need to get the guards  
distracted while Keiji find somewhere to get to safety.

 

"I have and Idea," She said. "I distract the guards while you get to the third floor of the estate. Wait for me there."

 

"You're crazy," Keiji replied. "Those guys aren't very friendly here, What if this dose not work?"

 

"It will work Keiji, Trust me," She said. "I'll be okay. You just need to get to the third floor while I keep those dum-dums busy, right now all  
you need is to stay hidden until I give you the signal."

 

"Alright Little Bird," Her lover replied with a sigh. "But be careful and please don't get captured or killed."

 

"I won't let that happend, Keiji." She said, activating her cloaking device and disappearing from sight. 

 

Moments later......

 

The master thief made her way to the main area the estate. It had two curved staircases that connected the second floor to the first floor.

Then she spotted the guards patrolling the lower area of the main room. 

 

'Well, Well, All six of these guys here, and they're Eclipse,' She thought while decloaking. 'This should be fun.....'

 

"Keiji, I count six altogether." Kasumi whispered into her comm, observing the guards while they searched the first floor for any unwanted intruders.  
It seems they did anticipate the couple's arrivel to the estate.

 

"I figured they would be at the first floor."

 

"And?....." Keiji asked with consern.

 

"And these guys are really professionals and They're Eclipes," She replied. 

 

"Did you say They're Eclipse?"

 

"Yep, you can never be too careful, they're tough, but not very bright."

 

Her comment really made him laugh quietly 

 

"It's your call, Little Bird," Her lover said. "And I trust your instincts."

 

"Thanks Hon," Kasumi said. "By the way, If someone spent this much credits to keep us out, It's not only worth it, It's obviously still here.

 

"Really?" Keiji asked.

 

"Yup," She answered, attempting to hack into the door's lock.

.  
Then one guard who was on the one of the staircases spotted Kasumi.

"Second Floor!" He shouted, pointing at the master thief.

 

"Okay, I've got there attention." She said, as held her hands in the air as if she was surrendering. "Be ready."

 

"You! Stay where you are Lady!" The guard yelled as he came closer and closer. "And no funny business!

Before the guard could grab hold of Kasumi, She cloaked herself and disappeared.

 

"What the fuck?!" the guard was stunned to see the thief vanish right before his eyes..

 

"Hey! where the hell are you?! I said 'No funny business!!"

Then suddenly, The master thief kicked the guard in the jaw, sending him to the floor.

 

The other five went to find her and try to defeat her, but they ended with punchs in the face, kicks in the shins and butts. also the punches in their guts.

All six were sent falling down stairs to the first floor.

While they were getting back up to their feet, They saw Kasumi standing near the railing, smirking at them...

 

"Boys, Boys, Boys," The thief said with a smile on her lips. "It's been fun with you all, but I must be going..."

 

The guard heard the ding, and rushed to get Kasumi before she could make her leave to the elevator. 

But by the time they got back to the second floor, She was already in the elevator as it's doors closed as she waved bye bye..

"Ah shit! Call the front desk," The guard said. "Tell Samuels to be ready for her!" 

 

Little did they know, Kasumi was never really in the elevator, she was on the third floor when she used the decoy program to misdirect  
them.

 

Then the theif went onto her comm to tell Keiji that the decoy program he got for her really worked.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keiji made his way to the third floor while Kasumi distracted the guards on the second floor, and used his omni-tool to hack the door open.

He went inside the room and closed the door, luckly no was in there.

There he waited patiently for his little bird to arrived, hoping she had held them off without any problem what so ever...

Still he had a bad feeling about the whole thing, the guards seemly anticipating their arrival.

He wondered if someone might have lured both him and Kasumi into what might be a trap. Or if he screwed up so badly that it  
would result getting him and/or Kasumi captured or killed. 

If so, then he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for this needless predicament.

 

"Keiji, Do you copy? Over." Kasumi's voice commed in

 

"I copy Little Bird," Keiji replied, sighing in relief. "I made it the third floor, now I'm in the room at the end of the hall. By the way,  
Did you have any trouble with the guards?" 

 

"Nope," Kasumi gleefully said. "No trouble at all, The decoy program you stole for me... It worked like a charm."

 

"I'm glad Little Bird." Keiji smiled. "I knew you'd-" 

 

Then Keiji was cut off when a Eclipse merc whacked him on the back, causing him to fall to the floor. The merc kicked him in the ribs and the teeth.

The third kick was blocked and Keiji used his foot to trip the merc, causing him to fall down. then he got back to his feet breathing.

 

"Keiji, Keiji? Are you alright?" Kasumi asked through the comm. "What happened? What's going on?"

 

Before Keiji could respond, the merc got up and attacked him. Only this time, Keiji ducked and punched the merc square in the jaw. 

The merc punched back at Keiji.

The thief staggered backwards but manage to keep his balance and then the merc attack him again, but Keiji was prepaired to take his attacker down.

The merc swung at Keiji, but the thief grabbed hold of the merc's arm and slammed him to the floor, thus knocking him out cold.

 

"I'm okay, but do not come into this room," Keiji said breathing. 

 

"What do mean? what's going on?" Kasumi asked. 

 

"I just encounted one of the these guys in the room, I'll meet you outside in the hall and-" 

 

Before he could finish, someone wraped and arm around Keiji's neck and then as he tried to fight off another attacker behind him, he felt a sharp  
painful stab entering his right lower back, causing him to scream in pain.

 

"KEIJI!!" Kasumi screamed over the comm.

 

The attacker's arm released Keiji's neck, and Keiji himself fell to his knees.

 

Suddenly the attacker grabbed the back of Keiji's collar and delivered another painful stab, this time penetrating through the back of his  
skull and deep into his brain. 

 

"AHHHHH! AAAAARHHHHH! ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" He screamed, while his head felt it was being torn up inside and then it  
felt like the part of his brain was being forcibly extracted through the stab wound.

 

The attacker released the hold on the collar.

 

With blood flowing quickly from the back of his skull and down neck and back. Keiji completely collapsed face first to the cold floor, his own blood  
pouring heavily from his head wound.

 

The attacker roughly kicked the wounded thief to roll him over onto his back and into the pool of his own blood.

 

"Keiji, Hold on! I'm coming!"

 

 _'No..... Little Bird, just..... get out of here while you still can....... Just go... Save yourself........'_ He painfuly thought.

 

Keiji laid there, helplessly and blankly staring up at the ceiling as his attacker came into his view.

 

"What a pity Mr. Okuda......" The attacker said, finally revealing himself.... 

 

He himself had steel blue eyes, black hair with matching small goatee under his bottom lip, a mushstash, and lower sideburns, and was wearing  
a white suit,with matching shoes.. 

 

The man held somthing in his hand, a blooded stabbing device that was holding in it's grasp........

It was Keiji's greybox.

 

The attacker had stabbed him in the head to extract the greybox from his brain with blood dripping from it.

 

"It was so nice having you here as a fine guest," The man said, smiling gloatingly at Keiji. 

"It's a shame you won't last any longer, but don't worry, your greybox is now safe with me. "

 

Keiji opened his mouth to protest, but was at that moment in a lot of pain to speak.

 

"No doubt we'll finally learn what this fuss over the whole 'espionage' is about."

 

"Allow me, Mr. Hock" The merc who just regained consciousness opened the door and escorted the attacker to his aircar.

 

"I've never stolen anyone's memories before, So Goodbye Mr. Okuda, and consider it to be my first."

 

While having the greybox in hand, the attacker left the room without even looking back.

Keiji was lying there in blood, watching helplessly as Mr. Hock and the merc walked out the door with his greybox, and the information that  
is laced up within his own memories.......

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Damn! We've lost her again!" The guard yelled. "Samuels, any sign of her downstairs?"

"No," Samuels replied. 'no sign of her anywhere, are you sure she's not at the third floor?"

Before the guard could answear, Kasumi decloaked right behind him and the other guard and painfully walloped two men and knocked out  
cold with their own batons. 

Then she wasted no time in successfully hacking to unlock the door.

As the door opened, The thief felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach the moment see saw Keiji lying beaten  
and bruised in a pool of his own blood.

 

"KEIJI!!" Kasumi screamed, running to her wounded lover's side. "Keiji? Keiji! can you hear me?"

 

The master thief knelt down and searched for the source of the heavy blood loss, and much to her horror, she found the wound in the back of his head.

From the look of wound itself, she knew what had happened.....

"No no no....." She muttered, tears spilling from her brown eyes, wishing that she hadn't dismissed his concerns when he started second  
thoughts on the heist at the property..... 

 

"Oh.... Keiji... I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry, I should have-"

 

"Kas- K- Kasu-" Keiji tried to speak, tears running down his cheeks. "I... I'm... Sorry.... I-I tried to... fight back... he took.... took..  
the gr-greybox.... He.... St-stole the grey-"

 

"Shhhh, Keiji please don't talk, " Kasumi replied. "We're going to get you out of here and away from this place, you need to hold on....."

 

"He... stole the... greybox.... tried to fight back... B-but failed... I'm... so-so... s-s-sorry...Little... B-bird..... I.... failed you.... "

 

"No Keiji, This was not your fault, It was mine," Kasumi said She cradling him in her arms, tears still slipping down her cheeks. 

"I'm so sorry.... I should have listened to you back on the freighter ship, I should have stayed with you....... 

 

Keiji lifted his right hand to softly caress Kasumi's light skin of her lovely face, gently wiping most of her tears away.

 

Then Kasumi gently held his hand with both of her own.

 

"Kasu... mi.... I'm not going to.... I'm not going to make it... Y-you need to..... leave here.... save yourself...... I'm-I'm not going to....."

 

"Don't say that! Don't you dare say that!" Kasumi yelled" You're going to make it, You're going to be okay......  
We'll get it back, We'll get your greybox back, All you need is to stay with me, we'll get off this planet and get help-"

 

Keiji's breathing was getting shallower and his heartbeat grew even more fainter. Kasumi held him close, trying to keep his soul from slipping away,  
while his blood were slowly seeping onto her black and grey catsuit and on her gloved hands, but she hardly ever paid attention to it.

 

"Little bird, I-I'll always love...... you... nothing could... change that... But you have t-to live....  
please... go...."

 

"I told you," She said tearfully. "I'm not leaving you and I'm not going to, Just stay with me, Keiji, Please stay with me.... I promise you,  
We'll get you all patched up.... and I'll find your greybox and get it back." 

 

"I know... You will.. My... K-Kasumi" Keiji said. "I-I love you... will always love... you....."

 

Realizing there wasn't anything it could be done to save her beloved partner from the jaws of death itself, The grieving master thief kissed  
him on his lips one last time as he succumbed to wounds and slowly fell limp her arms.

 

Then the theif looked at her lover. 

 

"Keiji......." She whippered, softly stroking his blood-soaked brown hair. 

 

Keiji didn't respond. His skin was now cold and deathly pale, He was still, and no longer breathing....... He was gone.....

 

She held him close and softly pressed her forehead onto her lover's shoulder and quietly sobbed while thoughts came to her mind.

 

Thoughts of everything they had together, Love, sharing, dancing, laughing, and nights together.  
And thoughts of everything they were going to have in their future, Their early retirement, Loving marriage, kids, and grandkids. 

 

Those things they had together in the past and the ones they were going to have weren't going to happen now that Keiji was gone..... 

 

She sat there, weeping for her lover as she held his lifeless body in her arms...

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Somewhere on Bekenstein at night...... 

 

Kasumi carefuly laid her departed lover's body under the huge tree, on the lush green field of freash cut grass. at least this is where  
he would be safe and comfortable until he is to be found.

 

Then, she placed the data pad right next to Keiji, asking that he be given a proper funeral service in his hometown, Saitama, Japan..

Months before, Keiji told her that since he was five years old, always enjoyed sitting on the grass, under a tree during spring and summer.

It was very relaxing to sit under a shade on a cool wet grass.

 

And when they wern't busy doing heist and all, they would lay together on the grass and under a tree.

 

The thief understood very well that removing a body from a crime scene is a serious felony, even in Council Space.

But couldn't bear the thought of just leaving Keiji there alone back at the estate just for him to be discarded like a broken, unwanted toy.

 

Her catsuit was covered with dried blood, but it didn't matter at the moment.....

Kasumi could only hope she would find his greybox before god-knows-who took it, would decrypt it. 

 

It was the only part of Keiji she wanted to have back.

 

His memories, everthing of him that are very dear to her.

 

She knelt down next to her now-deceased partner/lover and kissed his temple. 

 

"I love you... Keiji... " Kasumi whispered, getting up. "I'll find you again..... I promise...."

 

The thief turned to leave, cloaking herself.....


End file.
